diamond geezer

Thursday, May 24, 2012

We're getting new signs along Bow Road. Not for road traffic, not even for cyclists, but for us pedestrians up on the pavement.

This is the latest rollout of the Legible London project, first seen only in the centre of town, but now increasingly evident in the outer suburbs. Bow Road's been specially targeted, apparently, because of you know what.

Which is interesting, because none of the recommended travel routes for getting to the Games involve using Bow Road. None of the stations hereabouts are designated venue stations, and you can't get to the Olympic Park without crossing the human-crushing Bow Roundabout. You might walk this way if you were local, you might walk this way if you were lost, you might walk this way if the rest of the transport network had shut down, but probably not otherwise. Whatever, whichever, the signs are a great thing to have.

There is no major hospital on Bow Road. There used to be, but it's been closed for seven years and is about to be turned into flats. There are major hospitals much further down the A11, but they're not on Bow Road. Neither is there a university, technically there's only one tube station, and even the large parks are some walk away. Presumably someone's chosen to use the phrase "around Bow Road" in a vague arbitrary woolly neighbourhood sort of way. You might not want to put such a person in charge of wayfinding and mapmaking.

The tall enamel maps appeared couple of months ago, but the sign outside Thames Magistrates Court only went up on Monday. Merry Christmas everybody. Never mind if it's a bit late, Bow Road's very pleased to be becoming more accessible. And if this investment stops yet another lost soul asking me how to walk between the tube station and the DLR, it'll be job well done.